HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING: Nottingham tunes up for Hopewell with win over WW-P North

HAMILTON — Under the guidance of enthusiastic first-year coach Tony Arroyo, the West Windsor North High School wrestling team got a good look last night at what eventually it would like to become.

In a blowout in which the only question was the ultimate margin of victory, Nottingham smashed West Windsor North by the score of 71-12, in “The Swamp.”

For the Swamprats (6-2), this was mostly about getting back to business after the holiday break and getting ready for tonight’s big Colonial Valley Conference home match against Hopewell Valley.

For West Windsor North, it’s all about staying patient and working hard toward what will hopefully be a fruitful future.

“Obviously, Nottingham has a deep team,” said Arroyo, who was a four-time District 25 champion at Northern Burlington. “Jason does a good job of getting his team ready to rock and roll, and we have to get accustomed to that.

“The good thing is we should be able to fill 12 out of the 14 weights — 13 sometimes when I can finagle.”

The fact North could only fill six weight classes last night also underscored the difference in the two programs.

“We took a step back towards the end of December,” admitted Arroyo. “We had some wrestlers not show up for practice because of injuries and vacations. I only used the kids tonight who came to practice.

“We have to change the way we work during the (holiday) break. We know we have a lot of work to do.”

The two best wrestlers on the West Windsor North team are Joe Bryde and Jack Schilder. To no one’s surprise, all the points for the Knights last night came through those two as Bryde pinned in the third period at 106 pounds and Schilder needed just 2:11 to record his fall at 195.

“Jack is very strong, fast and athletic,” said Arroyo. “He only weighs 171, but some reason he seems to wrestle better when he goes up a weight or two.”

The best win for Nottingham came when Jared Lavarra pinned Vinny Porreca in a fast 1:28 at 182 pounds.

With West Windsor North out of the way, it was time for the Swamprats to start looking ahead to Hopewell Valley.

“Yes,” replied coach Jason Marasco, when asked if he’s already studied the Hopewell lineup. “I think it’s going to be one heckuva match; I think it’s going to come down to the last bout.

“If we can stay off our backs and get the bonus points we need, we should win. We can’t just get three-point decisions. We need pins.”

That will be difficult against the well-drilled Bulldogs, but as is always the case with Nottingham, you know the Swamprats will go for it.